Spicy Roasted Cashew Nuts – How To Roast Cashews

Roasted cashew nuts are one of the easiest and quickest snacks to throw together for entertaining. They can be sweet or savoury, spicy or herby or a combination of these if you fancy.

Believe me when I say it is such fun coming up with versions of roasted cashews to go with themed film nights. Anyone who can give me a tip on what flavours would go with Breakfast at Tiffany’s will be my friend forever.

I tend to make this spicy version of roasted cashews as OH prefers spice to sweet. And they smell particularly delicious as guests arrive to a table of lovely drinks and a big bowl of these.

Just make sure that you have enough as the bowl tends to empty as fast as you can fill it.

One of the things I love about these roasted cashews is that they are made from pantry staples ingredients and require only 5 mins of effort and 15 mins of roasting. Easy peasy right?

And if you double or triple the recipes, these would easily become an awesome edible gift for Christmas or the Holidays. Just package up in a Mason Jar, label and gift away.

Other recipes you might like to try include Air Fryer Pecans, family favorite Air Fryer Banana Chips and really crunchy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips.

Tools Needed

Ways to Make Roasted Cashew Nuts

There are two ways to make roasted cashew nuts.

Dry Roasted Cashews 

The first way is dry roasting them in a frying pan. You dry roast them in a pan over low heat turning them frequency so that they don’t burn.

This method is quicker than the oven method and I tend to use it when cooking for myself or when wanting a quick snack.

You will end up with a few ‘charred’ marks where the nuts are in contact with the pan, which in my view adds that extra flavour to the nuts.

Oven Roasted Cashews

The second way is to roast them in the oven which you can see in more detail below. This is the method I use when entertaining guests.

How to Roast Cashews

Roasting cashew nuts, whilst not necessary, makes them go from good to a deeper, richer, nuttier flavour. So definitely try not to skip this step.

1. Preheat the oven to 140C /160C / 325F /Gas 3.
2. Season the cashew nuts with herb and spices if you are using.
3. Spread the cashew nut in a single layer on the roasting tray.
4. Roast them for 12-15 min, stirring them twice during that time.
5. Then transfer them in a single layer to a cool plate and let them cool down for about 15 mins as they get crunchier the cooler the get.

Pro Recipe Tips

• This method works for both whole nuts or cashew halves.
• The cashews will come out soft from the oven but will firm up as they cool down.
• Vary the spices according to your taste (see more information below). Mix in a mixing bowl before adding to the baking tray or skillet.
• You can roast these nuts on a skillet on the stovetop.

Flavouring Roast Cashews

The flavours you choose depend on what you are aiming for or what you like. The simplest flavouring is salt. Everyone pretty much likes salt so use that as a starting point

For savoury roast cashews, you can use any combination of garlic, chilli, ground spices like paprika, curry, cumin, allspice and black pepper.

You can also use herbs like mixed herbs or more individual ones like rosemary and thyme and even citrus zest, Italian seasoning, Creole seasoning and Fajita Seasoning are great options.

Flavoured oils are also good with cashew nuts, but you would only need to add a little bit as the cashew nuts already have their own oils.

You can also have a sweeter more dessert version which can include honey or maple syrup, white or brown sugar, egg whites to add an airy golden crunch, vanilla, sweet warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, and treat like shredded coconut or sesame seeds.

Basically, if you like it, put it on the cashew nuts and try it.

Oh and don’t hesitate to roast double the quantity of cashews and keep some back for yourself to munch on once those lovely guests have all left.

You will need them after all that hard entertaining you have just done 🙂 .

Roasted Cashews For Gifting

These roasted cashews will make the perfect edible gift. Simply whip them up on the day you will gift them, let them cool down.

Then transfer them to a mason jar before adding your very own homemade with love gift tags. Pretty cellophane bags work too.

Other Nut Recipes

If you like roasted nuts then you might want to try this other recipe.

• Honey Sesame Coconut Roasted Cashews.
• Air Fryer Roasted Almonds.

Thank you for reading my roasted cashew nuts recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.

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